HEALTH AND SANITATION 31
How premise plumbing affects water quality
By
AWWA Premise Plumbing Committee
Premise plumbing falls outside the responsibility of drinking water systems and has unique characteristics that render it more complex than the main distribution system .
Recognising these complexities , water systems can communicate information and help building owners and residents address premise plumbing ’ s numerous challenges :
• Stagnant water
• Disinfectant decay
• Disinfection by-product formation
• Microbial growth
• Corrosion
• Metal release
Reflecting the need to preserve water quality until it reaches consumer taps , AWWA adopted a policy statement on premise plumbing in 2018 ( https :// news . awwa . org / PremisePlumbing ) that stresses two points :
• AWWA encourages water systems to establish comprehensive policies and operational goals that are designed to protect water quality in premise plumbing .
• AWWA supports and encourages collaboration among water systems , public health agencies , property owners , and other stakeholders to develop measures for maintaining water quality that meets or surpasses regulatory standards and requirements in premise plumbing .
To help accomplish the policy ’ s goals , an AWWA subcommittee was created — Premise Plumbing : Beyond the Meter — under the AWWA Distribution System Water Quality Committee . It became an independent AWWA committee in early 2020 . The committee ’ s mission statement is “ to synthesise industry knowledge and convey information that improves building water quality .”
• How can we improve water quality in hot water systems ?
• How should premise plumbing be handled , considering it falls in the nonutility-owned portion of the service line ?
• How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected building hydraulics and water quality ?
Pressing Challenges These topics present significant challenges and are being addressed by various subcommittees . Consistent with this column ’ s theme of what keeps water professionals up at night , we asked subcommittee members to reflect on their most pressing challenges . Interestingly , members of the Lead-in-Water Subcommittee and the Copper-in- Water Subcommittee reported contrasting challenges , as presented by their representatives .
Lead-in-Water Subcommittee In the United States , the revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule ( LCR ), which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2021 , have caused many restless nights . The LCR Revisions ( LCRR ) were proposed in 2019 , finalised in 2021 , and subsequently held for review five days after publication in the Federal Register . Both the effective and compliance dates were then extended and delayed again . The U . S . Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) announced on December 16 , 2021 , that the regulation will go into effect on that same day , as published earlier in the year , and EPA is expected to develop a new rule , the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements . These changes have kept many of us , particularly water systems , on our toes .
David Viola , IAPMO CEO
In the spirit of the sharing of unique experiences that shape the plumbing industries in our respective nations , the following article looks at the American Water Works Association ’ s ( AWWA ) latest efforts regarding premise plumbing . Contributed by the AWWA committee on which IAPMO sits , it is the next in a regular series of similar articles that will run in this magazine .
The Premise Plumbing Committee now has approximately 120 members , representing academia , consultants , equipment providers , industrial partners , federal and local governments , and several groups outside of the association . Topics of interest to the Premise Plumbing Committee come from questions posed by AWWA members :
• How can we control microbial regrowth ( e . g ., nitrification and Legionella ) in buildings ?
• How can we control inorganic contaminants ( e . g ., lead and copper )?
• How can we clean premise plumbing from accumulated inorganic contaminants ?
With many questions remaining , the uncertainty of the effective date and the content of the final LCRR that lasted through most of 2021 has made it difficult for water systems to properly prepare for compliance with the revised regulation . The changes have not made the rule any less complicated , and many water system staff who were around for the initial implementation have since retired , taking their institutional knowledge with them . As a result , there is a need for education or reeducation of corrosion control treatment ( CCT ). For some systems , CCT may have been set 30 years ago and not changed much since . With the lead-related issues encountered in Flint ,
“…. watersampling site selection and protocol are still raised by many stakeholders .”
October 2022 Volume 28 I Number 8 www . plumbingafrica . co . za